516 Days of Lucy
Jan72010
Some of you know that Lani Diane Rich is now writing as Lucy March for Jennifer Enderlin. Lani’s working on the first book now, a paranormal about a waffle house waitress with undiscovered skills who discovers them (it’s called A Little Night Magic), and since that’s not enough, she’s also started a project on her Lucy March blog documenting the countdown to her fortieth birthday. She’s promising to blog every day for 516 days. Yes, she’s insane, but she’s my roommate, so I’m being supportive. Go look at Lucy March’s Blog. She tells me that tomorrow she’s explaining that even though we’re living together, we’re not sleeping together. Not that there’d be anything wrong with that. I’m not sure it’s a good thing to tell people that since the rumor that Sweetness and Light had two mommies was the most interesting thing about either one of us, but the woman has to find 516 blog topics, so I’m not getting in her way. I can’t find anything to blog every other day here, how is she going to do this every day? Forecast for Lucy March: pictures of dogs and cats, links to Cracked.com, and Random Saturdays. Should be very fun to watch.
Loading ...
75 Comments to '516 Days of Lucy'
On January 7, 2010 at 12:29 pm Shangrila said...
I just picked up three of Lani’s books a few days ago (Maybe Baby, The Comeback Kiss and Wish you Were Here). I bought them because I liked the excerpt for A Little Night Magic so much! Can’t wait for it to come out-thanks for the heads up re: the Lucy March blog. Thought she also wrote historical romance under another pseudonym? I’ll look it up…
On January 7, 2010 at 4:32 pm Judy Long said...
I did the same thing. Went and got those same books after reading that excerpt. I can’t wait for LNM to come out. If it is as good as the excerpt it will be excellent!In fact, I was very happy to find her blog from references here. Will Write For Wine is something I want to check out when I have more time.
On January 7, 2010 at 12:58 pm Jenny said...
Nope, no historical. That’s probably Anne Stuart, who is Krissie.
I’m thinking you’ll get a really three-dimensional approach with her blog and this one. Well, two-dimensional, unless Krissie chimes in, too.
On January 7, 2010 at 1:41 pm Stephanie said...
It’s amazing what the preparation to 40 will have us do. Yesterday I baked muffins and the day before I cleaned the bathrooms. It’s like I’m becoming my grandmother! I have a month and a day to go, too. What’s gonna happen today? Will I spend my afternoon cooking a pot roast?
On January 7, 2010 at 6:37 pm Lora said...
babe, i’m only 31 and I just spent my snow day making pork roast and trying to bake homemade cinnamon rolls. somewhere there’s some “grandma” in the genes lol
On January 7, 2010 at 11:23 pm Naked Under My Clothes said...
I’m pushing 50 (running terrified in the other direction, actually) and I don’t feel I have any kind of a handle on running a household. I don’t do beef or pork roasts (too intimidating), don’t do fancy baking (piecrust makes me cower), and don’t own a sewing machine. I clean when I see grunge but it feels slapdash, not as if I know what I’m doing. On the other hand, I am a bona fide step-grandmother. Don’t know what that means except that it’s possible to resist! Resist!!
Or maybe not…I like when other people bake!
On January 8, 2010 at 12:52 am Kelly S said...
I turned 40 a few months ago. Was dreading it. For some reason I’ve suddenly started to understand aging. I hate it. I can do nearly everything I could when I was 20, but I’m sagging more, my knees are iffy, more grey hair and I’ve developed asthma. I look ahead and I see the 70 and 80 + people who are stooped and shuffling and think, aw, I don’t want to go there.
Aaaannnddd back on topic, Go Lani! Good luck with the blog and the Lucy March books!
On January 8, 2010 at 4:26 pm Carol Anne said...
Developed asthma at 40 too, so did my cousin. The rest of 40′s was pretty good. This past year in the 50+, the eyes popped open. Now I am looking at the 60+, 70+ thinking, “they don’t look too bad, they look bad.” I just want my health. Don’t want to do the “stoop & shuffle.” Being pro-active, most days. Mama just turned 94, LT care facility, sits in a wheelchair all day, 90% blind, NO-ONE wants to go there. Our first born just turned 33 today. I will just tell him he is 12045 days old, 33 is nothing. 38 was great, Lani, enjoy the rest of the 516 days.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:29 am Micki said...
Yay 40! It means we’re almost done with all that monthly hormonal crap (and we get to be hormonal 24/7, kind of like men!). It means we can bake if we like, or we can tell them to stuff their damn chocolate chip cookies up their (pick the orifice you like — you are a decisive older woman now!!). It means that if we’ve been paying attention and been somewhat consistent, we sort of know what we’re doing now. (And if we haven’t — then it means we have a WHOLE lot of experience and some very funny stories.) 40 is great! And I say that from my perspective as a 41-and-a-few-months-old person. It’s tons better than being 13 . . . .
(I should have waited for the end of the comments to put this, but all the angst right here made me want to reply now.)
On January 9, 2010 at 2:36 am CrankyOtter said...
Huh. I never freaked out about birthdays until this year. For some reason 37 has weirded me out like you wouldn’t believe. Total midlife crisis going on. But it has spurred me to hire an organizer so I don’t die crushed under a TBR pile. And it made me realize I don’t have people over as often as I want to.
After making the resolution to have dinner parties, I was reading cooks illustrated at the allergists and another patient recommended a local cooking school. I checked into it and there was a basics series starting this last thursday, so I signed up and am now taking cooking classes. First was wet cooking – poaching, steaming, blanching and the like. So in a couple of weeks, I might be up to cooking my first roast!
They also used bright “Red Ginger Threads” in syrup (Mee Chun Canning co) in one of the dishes. I bought some thinking I could put them in my red “cinnamon” rolls – in which I use ginger but not cinnamon – along with dried cherries, cranberries, and minced fresh red apple with skin on. But it turns out they go great as a garnish in spiced cider livened up with clove vodka! Yum. Cooking class – so far, so good. Oh, and I got a sewing machine for christmas. Hand me a purple hat.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:32 am Micki said...
I was inspired by your dinner party — I had a friend and her girls over for lunch, and we had for tea-time homemade chai with oatmeal cookies packed with cherries, pecans and Ghiradelli chocolate chips. Thank you! BTW, soak dried cherries in hot grape juice for something a little more fun but still servable to minors — but cherries are pretty fun on their own (-:.
On January 7, 2010 at 1:47 pm TerriO said...
I also picked up a couple of Lani’s books recently due to figuring if I could afford to take her classes, I could probably learn from her books. Will have to check out the blog.
This forced me to do the math and I’m 723 days away from 40. I think I feel woozy.
I’ve been trying to come up with a topic for my personal blog and in desperation, went to a creative writing prompt website. Got this:
“The book you want to write. What’s going to be in it?”
Even the internet knows I need pushing.
On January 7, 2010 at 1:48 pm TerriO said...
That was “COULDN’T afford.” Dang it.
On January 7, 2010 at 1:55 pm McB said...
40. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. And the next day I thought “so what was the fuss about?”
Howsomever, I’m all for more blogs from you and/or Lani so it’s all good.
On January 7, 2010 at 2:18 pm Skye said...
I remember 40 fondly. I am now 2 weeks away from 49, which fills me with awe and terror. Wasn’t I supposed to be somewhere else by now? (For people just starting their first novels at 39 or 40, think ‘starting my first novel at 48′. Scary enough?) If she can blog every day for 516 days, she deserves medals, wine, chocolate, excellent … um … good stuff, and perhaps a statue in one or two of her names. And I heartily agree with McB about more blogs from you and/or Lani. But I will gladly sacrifice blogs for more books!
On January 7, 2010 at 2:22 pm PG said...
“I’m not sure it’s a good thing to tell people that since the rumor that Sweetness and Light had two mommies was the most interesting thing about either one of us”
Reminds me of Molly Ivins’s self-description: “a left-wing, aging Bohemian journalist, who never made a shrewd career move, never dressed for success, never got married and isn’t even a lesbian, which at least would be interesting.”
On January 7, 2010 at 2:25 pm TerriO said...
When my daughter and I relocated to this area five years ago, we moved in with my college roommate who was going through a divorce at the time. For some reason, when we would meet people, she felt compeled to tell them we were not *together* in that way. It never even occured to me people would assume that. And based on the looks she received, I don’t think it occured to most of them either.
On January 7, 2010 at 3:20 pm Jackie said...
Speaking as a family member of several women who have lived with women for “that” reason – romantic love and sex – and several who lived together for whatever – including love and not sex. Don’t explain. It only matters to you. And Sweetness and Light seem to have at last count one mom, a dad, and a fake aunt. Pretty darn good. Speaking as someone who had as many as 3 moms at a time (1 catholic, 1 jewish and one greek orthodox) I recommend to S & L that the more the merrier when it comes to moms. It’s good of them to take on extras.
On January 7, 2010 at 6:55 pm Terrio said...
I was more “If they think that who cares?” but it really bothered my friend. Eh. My brother and his partner live together so maybe I’m just used to it and don’t see the big deal.
On January 7, 2010 at 9:57 pm Jackie said...
Actually, it bothers some lesbian couples that they are not seen as a couple because they live together. My feeling is, if you haven’t been invited to share the household or bed in question, it’s not your business.
On January 8, 2010 at 12:55 pm PG said...
It’s a little complicated not to know for etiquette purposes, though. E.g. when I lived with a woman as a roommate, people would invite each of us individually to things and send holiday cards to us as individuals. In contrast, when I moved in with my fiance (now husband), people did assume that for most situations (pretty much everything except a specifically “girls only” event) we should be invited places as a couple and our holiday cards were addressed to both. I would feel very badly if I assumed two women were merely roommates and it was OK to invite or address just one, and it turned out they were partners and should have been invited/addressed as a couple. Given the state of the law, it’s reasonable for such couples to feel a bit sensitive about this.
On January 7, 2010 at 2:42 pm Kate George said...
I’m so close to 50 that I can almost taste it, and in dire need of some self actualization, whatever that is.
I’m waiting for my youngest to show signs of being able to deal with adversity. Because I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a ton of adversity, and more than a little resistance when I finally put my foot down.
If I’m lucky, I’ll be doing what Lani is by the time I’m 60. If I’m unlucky I won’t go through it at all. I’ll remain a slave to my children and completely unactualized till I drop in my tracks. And I know which option they’d rather have!
On January 7, 2010 at 3:33 pm Mombo said...
When Jenny said the other day that she didn’t write her first book until she was 41, I thought good, it’s not so bad starting later. I just started writing for NaNo in November. It just occurred to me today that I’m 58. That’s 17 years older than Jenny was. I better get going. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
On January 7, 2010 at 11:28 pm Naked Under My Clothes said...
Yes, but isn’t that how it feels? Like 58 doesn’t feel so different from 41, really, on the INSIDE, and then you get a Christmas letter from your NIECE and she’s in her mid-30s and you were grown-up-ish when she was born and the math just does. not. compute.
I really think sometimes it’s the arithmetic that’s gone wonky.
On January 8, 2010 at 3:55 pm Mombo said...
Yep, the only difference for me is that now if I don’t want to do something I don’t do it and I don’t feel guilty about not doing it any more. It drives my husband crazy but that’s my job and I’m good at it.
On January 7, 2010 at 3:52 pm Jill said...
I am 9490 days beyond 40. Off to find Lucy’s blog
On January 7, 2010 at 4:33 pm Melissa Blue said...
Lol. That right there is why I’m such a fan girl of you.
On January 7, 2010 at 3:52 pm robena grant said...
Forty? Forty? I’d give anything to be forty again. : )
You know, there are so many people in this world who live vicariously. I say let ‘em think what they want, let ‘em make up whatever interesting, delicious little scenarios they can about you. I mean who are you to deprive them of their creative bent. Ha ha. Just kidding. S and L are lucky to have both of you regardless of your living situation, and I’m sure their dad will continue to feature in their lives. Those kids will grow up strong and healthy, and that’s all that matters.
On January 7, 2010 at 4:04 pm LolaMac said...
When I turned 40 eight months ago, I convinced my two best friends to go to Switzerland with me because [a] I wrote a paper about the country in 5th grade which included a very sweet relief map that I made out of some kind of paper mache gunk and colored with my Mom’s eyeshadows (she did not think that was sweet); [b] I wanted to yodel whilst standing on an Alp; and [c] I wanted a vacation where cheese featured heavily and swimsuits did not. We had a blast and I was too full of fondue to care about being 40.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:38 am Micki said...
Gosh, I wish I knew this two years ago (-:. Maybe 50?
On January 7, 2010 at 4:39 pm Judy Long said...
I’m 52 & I didn’t really experience any angst about my age until last year. For some reason last year I started in on remorse and regrets and ‘why didn’t I’s’. It sucked but I’m mostly out of it now. I’ve read of some other very prolific authors who started late in life. Gives me hope.
On January 7, 2010 at 4:48 pm Lori J. said...
I wouldn’t want to go back to my 20s or even early 30s. I was a failure at youth and being young. I couldn’t get the hang of it. Then I turned 40 and everything fell into place or maybe I fell into the right places. I think of turning 40 as the ultimate turning point in my life.
On January 7, 2010 at 4:49 pm Mary Stella said...
She tells me that tomorrow she’s explaining that even though we’re living together, we’re not sleeping together. Not that there’d be anything wrong with that. I’m not sure it’s a good thing to tell people that since the rumor that Sweetness and Light had two mommies was the most interesting thing about either one of us
Damn. I think you and Bob should write another book together, just so he can visit again and really liven up things with threesome rumors.
For all of you counting down to 40, it’s no big deal. Really. I just turned 52. I threw myself a mega-party for my 50th. When you get to be this age, celebrate every year. Anytime I’m tempted to complain about feeling older, I remember the alternative. Gratitude that I’m not dead knocks the complaining right out of me. So does a good sauvignon blanc.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:39 am Micki said...
I hear the chorus of “Not Dead Yet” from the Monty Python Spamalot CD (-:. Yay, you!
On January 7, 2010 at 5:08 pm Glynis said...
Happily, I’m just 1,825 days past 40. *laughter* It’s been an interesting trip, that’s for sure.
On January 7, 2010 at 5:17 pm Lori J. said...
Btw, there was a time in my life, many young years ago, when I was single and my old high school friend was newly divorced and we tried unsuccessfully to find an apartment or house that we could rent. No one would rent to two women. We were even asked by the rental managers if we had boyfriends and one women told us that she wouldn’t rent to us because “it didn’t look right, two women living together.” We finally found a dump to live in for a few months. We left and went our separate ways because we had a more than the average amount of church ladies knocking on our doors, among other things.
On January 7, 2010 at 6:09 pm Lou said...
I breezed through every birthday until 60. For some reason known only to my inner psyche, 60 hit me pretty hard for a little while. I practice positive thinking – even if I’m not feeling particularly positive – you’d be surprised how much it helps! Like those self-help articles that tell you to smile even though you don’t want to – and pretty soon you feel better – it works (if you want it to).
My brain still thinks it’s 35, but my body laughs out loud when I try stuff I could do at 35. Still, I’m doing good at 66, and am still feeling very positive.
Age is a figment of the “must-be-ever-youthful” advertising’s imagination!
On January 7, 2010 at 6:18 pm Briana said...
People are going to round on me, but 25 was my hard one. It wasn’t so much the *age* — it was where I was versus where I expected to be. My mom and grandmother had both had their first kids at 25 and I just always figured I would too. It was a tough realization to hit 25 with no partner, no prospect of one, and no real idea what I wanted to do with my life. None of my other birthday ages have such expectations attached, though, so I think I’ll be OK for awhile.
Oh! And I think Lani blogging there is excellent news. For you, especially. Granted, your “two mommies” story is now going to be shot, but you can blog about HER blog entries indefinitely…it’ll give you a starting point every day.
On January 7, 2010 at 7:17 pm Bethany said...
Oh thank heavens. I just turned 25 in October and keep almost saying “24″ because…I should have done more. By this age, my mom was a lawyer in a major law firm, was married, had two kids and a house, and was almost a partner that firm (that was by age 26 I believe.
I have a cat and a boyfriend as the good, the same entry-level job I started at 2 years ago that I’m certain I’ll never move out of, no graduate degree (only kid in my family not to have that), a tiny studio (that I otherwise love, but still, compared to large 4 bedroom house Mom had at this age), and still constantly seem to be screwing up basic life things–no organization of health or financial records, accepted a parental bailout to avoid debt over cat surgery that was under $1000, and a foster cat seriously ate my W2. Plus I’m donating my car because I seriously can’t keep track of all the records and requirements for her and her repairs would cost 1/3 what I paid for her in college and I live near a metro and Can go carless. But I don’t think that’s a normal “real adult” decision.
My mom was a total adult at 25, I feel nowhere near adulthood. Except that I need more sleep than I did in college and have to pay for my own shoes now. Well, and I get to have a cat which I couldn’t have as a kid. That’s pretty darn cool.
On January 7, 2010 at 7:50 pm D. said...
Speaking as someone who was married at 22, had graduated college, found a job, and was attempting to have children at 25, I feel that I can tell you with some authority that there is no way in hell your mother was a “total adult”–whatever that means. She may have been more ambitious than most, but I guarantee you that she was scared witless whenever she slowed down enough to think about her responsibilities.
Enjoy your apartment, enjoy your boyfriend, and enjoy your cat and stop letting people tell you–or even imply–that you haven’t done enough if you’re happy with what you’ve done yourself. That goes double for your family. You can do it.
On January 7, 2010 at 9:12 pm Jenny said...
Seconding this. I had a marriage, a child, a house, and a career by 25 and I couldn’t find my ass with both hands. The saving grace was that I didn’t have time to look for it anyway. You seem to have the important stuff down–happy with your relationship, your job, your life–the rest of it is just window dressing.
On January 8, 2010 at 11:11 am McB said...
“I must be a grown up. See, my list is all checked off.”
I don’t think we ever feel like adults, and that doesn’t matter anyway. It only matters that we can be the adult when we have to.
On January 8, 2010 at 1:21 pm Bethany said...
Thanks. Maybe that’ll be a goal for 2010–not to focus on window dressing.
On January 9, 2010 at 12:09 am JulieB said...
Chiming in to say I was married at 20 and still hadn’t become “me.” I had a lot going, but I really came into my own later.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:30 pm Pam Rybak said...
Speaking as someone who knew Jenny at ages 19 – 22, I’d say we were all looking for how to be happy and we were just following old norms and mores. It takes a while to figure things out. Still figuring at 60!
On January 8, 2010 at 1:12 pm Bethany said...
Many thanks. She’s one of those women who never shows fear. It’s inspiring while also sometimes being a little bit intimidating.
On January 11, 2010 at 12:50 am Jenny said...
PAM!
Pam is my best friend from college. I lost her for awhile and then found her again, and she knows many things about me she won’t share because I know many things about her, too. It was the late sixties. We had a good time.
On January 7, 2010 at 9:39 pm Skye said...
I don’t think there is such a thing as a “read adult” decision other than to be responsible for yourself and your dependents. Some people can make those decisions at 12 and some never can. I’ve had a couple of similar parental bailouts in my life and during my current long unemployment my mom has even bought me a tv because I didn’t have one and couldn’t afford one. (I’m 49…and does a tv count as a small bailout?) I have been organized and unorganized off and on throughout my adulthood, so I don’t think it’s a “you are here” sort of thing. It sounds like you are doing great at the adult thing.
On January 8, 2010 at 1:14 pm Bethany said...
Thank you. And I think tv buying is simply a very generous holiday gift
Totally not a bailout.
On January 7, 2010 at 9:59 pm Julia said...
And I thought it was just me… I’m 60 days from 30 (which I plan to celebrate by going to New Orleans with my college roommate), and although I’m doing okay career-wise and am in the process of getting a graduate degree, I feel woefully behind the curve in finding a boyfriend/spouse, buying a home and having kids. My mom had me when she was 29, and I always assumed I’d be married by now, so it’s been a weird year. And many of my friends have started marrying off and procreating. (One adorable chunky monkey baby will be calling me “F.A.” for “Fake Auntie”, and I figure I might have a shot at being an early word in her vocabulary, given the similarity to Ma and Da.)
But anyway, now I’m doing the math as far as how long it might take me to find someone, date him, marry him, and feel settled enough to have kids, and somehow I doubt that will happen by 35 at the rate I’m going, which makes me start worrying about fertility and health concerns. Ack.
On January 8, 2010 at 3:36 pm Briana said...
“fertility and health concerns. Ack.”
Yup. I turn 34 in March and I’m definitely aware of that aspect of it. But I don’t feel the (self-imposed) pressure that I did in my 20s. I’ve picked out an adoption agency for when I can afford the fees; whether I’m married or not, I figure I can do a pretty good job with a few kids.
And….well, I don’t know. I still sometimes wish I were closer to where I want to be, but I sort of feel like I’m doing better at WHO I want to be….and that’s working for me.
On January 7, 2010 at 11:07 pm Lily Blues said...
I had the “Oh *#@& I’m turning 25 and I’m still HERE” freak-out moment too. My friends and sorority sisters thought it was hilarious. And then most of them experienced the same jolt a year or two later.
I turned 30 last April and shrugged. Somewhere between 25 and 30 my philosophy shifted: It’s all in the getting there. I actually drive the speed limit now, too.
On January 8, 2010 at 1:20 pm Bethany said...
Huh, when I do drive now I drive much more slowly, actually within the 5mph of the limit.
On January 8, 2010 at 6:31 am Moth said...
I’m there. 25 is seriously scaring me.
I’m turning 25 in four months and I’m only a junior in college (and I just transferred to the best public university in the world from my JC).
I just left my boyfriend of 6 years, the man I thought I was going to marry and procreate with. I want to be a professional writer but I know I need a day job but I have no idea what that day job would be. I had to sell my car when I went away to school…hell, I don’t even have a TV to call my own at the moment.
My mom was (very happily) married at 19. But she didn’t really get her career until her late twenties and she didn’t have my sister and me until she was in her 30s.
I keep telling myself it will all work out all right in the end, but still and all 25 is scary number for me right now…
On January 8, 2010 at 1:20 pm Bethany said...
*hug * My favorite college professors held a retreat for us my jr year to discuss careers and jobs–we were a new program/major and few of us knew what our options were other than grad school. Three of the best professors in the group essentially had stumbled into their jobs after school–one had taken a year to bike around the northwest, another worked as a construction worker after leaving school before returning because he realized he didn’t want to work outside in the winter, and the third applied for a phd as a lark because he needed to do something while working on his blue guitar. I chose a city I liked and moved there, certain that with a college education, a temping background (office experience), and low cost-of-living expenses I could find some sort of job. It worked for me. Some creative friends (singers, writers, etc) love waitressing in big cities because the paychecks are amazing and you have the days free to work on your craft.
I broke up with my first ever, 6 yr boyfriend that jr year too and it was so weird–he had been about to propose and I just realized I didn’t want that life with him, but it was so hard to deal with sometimes–walking away from what I thought I had wanted for so long. The best antidote from me was a mix of reveling in singlehood–drinks bought for me at bars, being free to flirt without having to do anything else, not having to get dressed up for a Friday if I didn’t want to (woo for sweats, sleeping in, and buffy marathons!) and doing everything I’d ever thought about wanting to do but that the ex hadn’t–museums, tv shows, concerts, plays–anything. A more recent and smaller breakup (2 years ago) led me to my passion–volunteering with animals so I now always suggest trying something you’ve thought about doing and using it to fill the time and change the scheduled habits.
*hug *
Hulu.com takes care of everything for free!
ps–if you have a computer, no need for tv
On January 9, 2010 at 3:23 am CrankyOtter said...
I think my 37 is like the 25s – where I am vs. where I thought I’d be and where everyone else is. I see my friends in big homes with kids and look at my little condo and I have to remind myself that I *like* my little condo and don’t want a big house or two kids and it’s still hard. I just want people to come over, so I need to invite them.
But I do have some recommendations for “finding” yourself. There are companies all over that run 1-3 day seminars on various topics like learning your personality type and goal setting. I recommend finding one. The best things I learned were (1) goal setting helps you say no when you’ve a helium hand that likes to volunteer for everything, (2) It’s easy to find things you’re bad at, but you can’t focus only on those things – find the things you’re good at and do those as well. (Remember the Nike commercial listing all the things that Lance Armstrong CAN’T do? love that.) and (3) if you don’t know what you want to do, think about what’s important to you.
On this last – if you think “I want to grow up to be a doctor, lawyer, or fireman” it’s pretty easy to figure out what path to take. But if you just want to be gainfully employed, it’s a little more nebulous. These seminars (or your college job placement counselors) can help you sort through this kind of thing. You start with values and it really helps – Someone who values security, family, stability, and health is going to want a much different job from someone who values risk, adventure, exitement, and excess money. Me, I got myself into an engineering school but didn’t know what various engineers did. I looked through to course catalog and majored in the subject with the most classes that appealed to me and it worked out, but I kind of wonder if I’d have chosen a different first job if I’d had better guidance. Fortunately, my first job sent me to these seminars (time management, managing your carreer – how to improve life without ditching everything, stuff like that) and I just want to prosletyze about these things to people in school. People make mock but I’ve learned more about life decisions from those few hours in seminars than I did in 16 years of school. Uh, sorry for the superlong post. not my blog, not my blog.
But hey, maybe lani can do a post or 12 about stuff she’s learned from things that mainstream media mocks. Or not.
On January 8, 2010 at 9:36 am Kate George said...
It was 27 for me. I cried and thought life was over because I wasn’t married and didn’t have any kind of meaningful career. (I was a motorcycle safety instructor among other things. If I had known I was experiencing life so I could write about it later I might have been happier. Maybe not.)
Talk about not being able to find your hiney with both hands! It’s amazing I survived. I didn’t catch a clue until WAY after my first child, who I had at 33. My cousin once told me she was a late bloomer and the light went on for me. That’s what I am – a late bloomer!
On January 7, 2010 at 7:33 pm Louis said...
I’m waaaay too many days past 40 to even think of counting.
Radio Talk Show host’s comment today….
“…….2010 is going to be a Wild Ride”
Off to check out Ms Lani
On January 7, 2010 at 10:21 pm Reb said...
This year I become the answer to life, the universe and everything. I’m looking forward to it.
Actually, I stole that line from my other half, who got there last year. I reckon it’s the right attitude to any birthday, especially ones over 40.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:48 am Micki said...
Oh, I like that! I’ve got seven months to prepare (-:!
On January 9, 2010 at 6:44 pm naked under my clothes said...
When I did that birthday, I thought I was pretty much set. I was in a good place. Things were…okay. Twenty months later I left a marriage and moved to a different country. Best thing I ever did.
Maybe it’s not 42. Maybe it’s 84.
On January 8, 2010 at 11:28 am McB said...
Here’s the thing about those so-called age milestones. When people aren’t where they think they should be, they rush about acquiring all the ‘markers’ in a frenzy of bad decisions that they regret later.
On January 8, 2010 at 3:08 pm Judy Long said...
I spent 5 years in So Cal pursuing a massage therapist career. The man who owned the school I attended was inspirational for me. He was in his early 70′s & learning to skateboard. Seriously. Anything involving moving his body he had done or was still doing. He owned a million dollar business that he had built around the thing he loved most – alternative health.
Here’s the most inspirational thing about him; I once heard him say in a class he was teaching that even he asked himself at least once a day, “What am I going to do with my life?” At 70. Seemingly the very definition of success. Doing exactly what he loved and wanted to do.
From that point on it became okay in my mind that I didn’t measure up to my own thoughts of how far along I should be in this life.
On January 8, 2010 at 5:13 pm Diane (TT) said...
Here’s a thoughtful article by your cousin Russ that I ran across. Many excellent points.
On January 8, 2010 at 5:15 pm Diane (TT) said...
Sorry – I should’ve indicated that I was off-topic. But then, I’m so rarely on…
Is there going to be a Wild Ride signing tour? The CBs want to plan a Dayton Invasion. Or some other road trip. Speaking of “off-topic”.
On January 8, 2010 at 6:37 pm Jenny said...
Russ is always on topic.
We’re not planning a tour. Bob is socked in on his island writing his solo book, and I’ll be in the middle of the Liz project. Plus publishing houses are cutting back on tours, so I don’t see one in our future. But if we go anywhere, it’ll be Dayton/Cincy. I just don’t see Bob leaping on a plane for Ohio any time soon.
On January 8, 2010 at 9:38 pm McB said...
Maybe we’ll invade Dayton anyway. We’re finally learning our way around.
On January 8, 2010 at 5:53 pm London Mabel said...
Ways to fill a blog:
“Here’s my new favourite song!” and post a youtube video.
Post a quote from the tv show or book you’re currently enjoying.
Find questionnaires on the web and answer them. “What is the last piece of clothing you bought…”
Post pictures of pets.
Post pet stories.
My personal blog is filled with such inanities.
On January 9, 2010 at 12:13 am JulieB said...
I think this topic has been fabulous. Thank you all for posting. I teach college students, and this had brought me many “Oh yeah” moments on each read-through.
On January 9, 2010 at 6:50 am Micki said...
And finally, I want to say thanks for sharing Lani’s new pen name. I will look for it. 2010 looks like a very fun year for books . . . .
On January 10, 2010 at 11:27 am Crystal Posey said...
Thanks for sharing this. I am loving her blog!
On January 10, 2010 at 7:09 pm Kira said...
Was it Erma Bombeck who said that you know you’re an adult when you can scoop up the sink drain and dump it out, even though you still think it’s gross?
I just turned 40, and I think I’m mostly there.
I have been very fortunate in that I’ve achieved what I’ve intended to, and still have many things to look forward to. But what worries me is seeing older people who still are no wiser, who have not learned from their mistakes or fixed bad character traits. I don’t want to change, but I don’t want to freeze where I am, either.
On January 10, 2010 at 9:35 pm misspiggy don'twannabe said...
Last week a woman stopped me in Starbucks to ask if I remembered my 30th birthday. She said her friend was coming up on 30 and wanted it to be special because EVERYONE remembers their 30th birthday. She said she didn’t remember hers.
I told her that I was living in Des Moines at the time, had a 5 year old and 2 younger children and certainly remembered turning 30. My husband took me to Omaha for a wild weekend. I didn’t feel like mommy all weekend, and I’ll never forget it.
On January 11, 2010 at 4:35 pm inkgrrl said...
I quit corporate America in anticipation of my 40th. Being the drama queen that I am, I had sworn for years that I would rather die than turn 40 while still working in a cubicle, so it was really the only option.
On January 14, 2010 at 4:15 pm Sharon said...
I, too, thought I was grown up at 25-had graduated from college, had a teaching job and was married to my highschool sweet heart.I had all the right things but then it all went horribly wrong, I blamed myself and kept trying to fix the problems. When divorce was my decision, my mother told me I could not divorce-”there has never been a divorce in our family and he will be a good husband when he is 40″ were her reasons. Looking back, I realize how young I really was-and how very, very sad I felt when my mother wanted me to stay in a terrible marriage to uphold her image for another 15 years!!! Needless to say, we became estranged over the situation-I think everyone moves toward adulthood when they start making their own decisions regardless of what their parents think.She told me that I would never get married again, be happy or have children but she was WRONG I am glad to say.